Can I feed my chickens kitchen scraps?

No. In the UK it is against the law to feed poultry on material that has been in a domestic kitchen, regardless of flock size. The rule exists to limit disease spread. Purpose-made poultry feed and treats sold for poultry are the safe route.

What is the difference between grit and oyster shell?

Flint grit is insoluble and sits in the gizzard to grind food, since hens have no teeth. Oyster shell is soluble and provides calcium for eggshells. Birds need both, and they are usually offered separately so hens take what they need.

How much do chickens eat a day?

A typical laying hen eats somewhere around 120 to 150g of complete feed a day, though it varies with breed, weather and how much they forage. Feed is usually left available rather than rationed.

Why have my hens stopped laying?

Shorter daylight, the annual moult and age are the usual reasons, and all three are normal. Diet matters too: a flock filling up on corn or treats rather than layers feed will often lay less.

What do chickens eat?

Backyard hens are fed a complete layers feed as the foundation, with grit available and treats kept to a small share of the diet. There is one point that catches out a lot of new keepers: in the UK it is against the law to feed poultry on scraps from a domestic kitchen, however traditional the practice may be.

Layers pellets or mash

A complete layers feed supplies the protein, vitamins and the calcium that laying hens need, and it should make up the great majority of what they eat. Pellets and mash are both widely used; pellets tend to be tidier and mash is often scattered to encourage foraging.

Hens self-regulate reasonably well, so feed is usually available through the day rather than rationed. Growing birds need a starter or grower feed rather than layers feed, because the calcium level in layers feed is too high for birds that are not yet laying.

Grit, and why there are two sorts

Hens have no teeth and grind their food in the gizzard, so they need insoluble flint grit to do that work. This is separate from oyster shell, which is a soluble calcium source that supports shell quality.

Both are normally offered free choice in a small container so the birds take what they need. A hen laying thin-shelled eggs is often short of calcium rather than unwell.

Treats and the rules on scraps

Corn, mealworms and suitable greens are all popular, and a useful rule of thumb is that treats should stay a small fraction of daily intake. Too much corn in particular displaces the balanced feed and reduces laying.

On scraps, the law is clear and it surprises people: feeding poultry with material from a domestic kitchen is prohibited in the UK, and that applies to household kitchens as well as catering ones. It exists to reduce the risk of disease spread, and it applies to a few hens in a garden just as much as to a commercial flock.

Common questions

Can I feed my chickens kitchen scraps?: No. In the UK it is against the law to feed poultry on material that has been in a domestic kitchen, regardless of flock size. The rule exists to limit disease spread. Purpose-made poultry feed and treats sold for poultry are the safe route.
What is the difference between grit and oyster shell?: Flint grit is insoluble and sits in the gizzard to grind food, since hens have no teeth. Oyster shell is soluble and provides calcium for eggshells. Birds need both, and they are usually offered separately so hens take what they need.
How much do chickens eat a day?: A typical laying hen eats somewhere around 120 to 150g of complete feed a day, though it varies with breed, weather and how much they forage. Feed is usually left available rather than rationed.
Why have my hens stopped laying?: Shorter daylight, the annual moult and age are the usual reasons, and all three are normal. Diet matters too: a flock filling up on corn or treats rather than layers feed will often lay less.

Sources

Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.